Today is somehow day two of the post-Jose Fernandez era in baseball. It still doesn’t seem any more real than it did yesterday. Even though Fernandez wasn’t on their team, it’s not difficult for Yankees fans to relate to the pain that those who cheered him on the most are feeling right now. It’s not exactly the same since there has never been as big a star lost at such a young age, but it’s similar.
History has not been kind to the Yankees in this regard, going back to Lou Gehrig. Their beloved and incomparable first baseman did not die midseason, but his sudden departure from the lineup and subsequent ALS diagnosis was crippling.